Skessugarður

Background

History & Background

Skessugarður formed during the late glacial period as Brúarjökull paused or advanced at this position. Later flooding is thought to have removed much of the finer material, leaving the unusually coarse wall of large boulders seen today.

Skessugarður, the “Rampart of the Giantess”, is a striking glacial moraine near Sænautasel in East Iceland. The natural wall runs roughly west to east for about 300 metres and reaches around 7 metres in height. It was formed by Brúarjökull and marks a former glacier position near the end of the last glacial period.\n\nWhat makes Skessugarður especially unusual is the lack of fine material normally found in moraines. The ridge consists largely of massive boulders; smaller material is thought to have been washed away by flooding after the moraine formed. The place name is also tied to a local giantess legend, but the geological formation itself is the main reason to visit.